THE HISTORY & MISSION OF HBCU'S

The History & Mission of HBCU's The History & Mission of the UNCF Fiscal Challenges at HBCU's The Benefits of Planned Giving

The History & Mission of HBCU's The History & Mission of the UNCF Fiscal Challenges at HBCU's The Benefits of Planned Giving

Introduction

Black colleges are institutions of higher education that are dedicated to the post-high school education of African Americans. The 103 U.S. black colleges include institutions founded prior to 1964 (known as the historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs) and predominately black public colleges and universities that serve largely urban African American student populations. Twelve of the colleges are located in the Northeast, Middle Atlantic, or Midwest regions and the Virgin Islands. The remainder are located in the South (Fleming, 1984).

Black colleges provide diverse environments for learning. As of 2007 there were 14 community or junior colleges, 37 four-year colleges, and 52 universities. Black colleges are almost equally divided between public (51) and private (52) institutions. There are three single-sex colleges: Morehouse College, Atlanta, Ga., for men; and Spelman College, Atlanta, and Bennett College, Greensboro, N.C., both for women. There are also institutions known for offering advanced degrees; two examples are Morehouse College of Medicine, in Atlanta, and Meharry Medical College, in Nashville, Tenn. Some institutions, such as those already named, are in urban settings; others are in rural areas (Hoffman, 1996).

Black colleges fulfill an important role within the U.S. educational landscape. They have been and continue to be responsible for producing large numbers African American professionals, academics, businesspeople, and leaders. From the 1800s to 1964, HBCUs were the only option for African Americans to receive a college education in the United States. Lincoln University in Pennsylvania alone produced 20% of African American physicians and 10% of African American attorneys in its first 100 years of existence. In 1964, HBCUs served 51% of African Americans attending college. By 1999, 14% of all African American students attending college were attending HBCUs.

Despite the changes in the proportion of African Americans who attend HBCUs and predominantly black colleges, these institutions are currently responsible for 24% of all undergraduate college degrees awarded to African Americans. One of every six African Americans who receive master's degrees and first professional degrees attended black colleges; the degrees they receive include those in dentistry, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, law, and theological professions. Out of a total of 1,600 doctoral degrees awarded to African American women and men in 2003, black colleges awarded 257 of them. Howard University in Washington, D.C., awards more doctoral degrees to African Americans than any other institution of higher learning in the world. Xavier University of New Orleans, La. (the only black and Catholic HCBU), is the top university in the United States for placing African American students in medical schools. Southern University and A&M College (main campus in Baton Rouge, La.) was the largest HBCU prior to the destruction wrought on the New Orleans campus by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (Ashley and ...